Brooklyn Nets fans finally got a chance to see Kyrie Irving play this season. The 29-year-old point guard made his debut in a road game against the Indiana Pacers.

He scored 22 points, grabbed 3 rebounds and dished 4 assists in 32 minutes of play. Irving was able to find his rhythm despite not playing for seven months.

Making his debut was a special moment for Kyrie as he revealed in a postgame interview. “I’ve had a lot of debuts but nothing comes close to this one,” he said.

“It just meant a little bit more just because at this stage taking off eight months or being out of the game for eight months and coming in there’s so much uncertainty how minutes, what’s the flow of the game gonna be like, how my teammates gonna feel and what’s the game flow gonna be.

“You just don’t have any idea. So I went in with a just an open mindset just to ground myself, be present and do whatever it takes to win. I think in the first possession when I shot that shot, I was so caught up in just making my first two points. I was so nervous and naturally as a performer I still get nervous but that first shot was like ‘Man I wanted that to go in.’

“And then I settled down closer to the second half. Once I came back out and I just said ‘Whatever’s needed out there listen I’m just gonna do’ and I know everyone’s gonna follow suit like they’ve been doing all season.”